Cord storage device



Feb- 13, 1962 R. w. RUDOLPH 3,021,087

CORD STORAGE DEVICE Filed April 3, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 oir/eggs" Feb.13, 1962 R. w. RUDOLPH CORD STORAGE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Shea?I 2 Filed April3, 1959 United States Patent O 3,021,087 CORD STORAGE DEVICE Robert W.Rudoiph, Bellwood, Ill., assigner to Jefferson Electric Company, Inc., acorporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 803,951 2 Claims.(Cl. 242-851) This invention relates to an improved cord storage devicefor use with electrical appliances.

It is an object of my invention to provide a device by means of whichthe attachment cord of an electrical appliance may be maintained withinan annular cavity d-isposed in the base of the appliance, even thoughthe cavity opens downwardly. Thus, the invention is `of particularutility in connection with appliances, such as clocks, toasters, tablelamps, and the like, in which the base of the appliance is adapted torest on a horizontal surface.

A further object of my invention is to provide means by which the excessportion of the attachment cord of an appliance may be convenientlyarranged within the base of the appliance.

Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent as thedescription proceeds.

With reference now to the drawings in which like reference numeralsdesignate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a top side elevation, partly in section, of a clock embodyingmy invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan section taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a modified form of guide member; and

FIG. 5 is a section taken along line 5 5 of FIG. 4.

With reference now to FIG. l, the reference numeral designates generallya clock or similar appliance. The clock comprises a casing member 11 anda base member 12 which are secured to each other by means of screws 13.Mechanism 14 is disposed within the casing above the base 12. In theparticular example shown, the axis of the mechanism is disposed at anacute angle to the vertical axis of the clock, and a hand setting shaft15 is provided which is also disposed at an -angle and which projectsthrough a diagonally disposed portion 26 of the base 12.

The base 12 is provided with a downwardly opening annular cavity 16which surrounds a central depressed base portion 17. A guide member 18is rotatably mounted on the central depressed portion 17, concentricallywith the annular cavity 16. The outer portions 27 of the guide memberextend beneath and overlap the annular cavity 16.

The guide member 18 includes a stem 19 which projects through a suitableopening in the central portion 17 and which is secured therein by meansof a friction spider 20, as shown in FIG. l. The arrangement is suchthat the guide member 18 may be freely rotated with the nger of oneh-and.

The base also includes a vertical `cylindrical supporting ange 21 whichprojects downwardly below the level 0f the central depressed portion 17and thus serves to maintain that portion 17 and the guide member 18clear of a supporting surface. A slot 22 is formed at one portion of theange.

The clock is provided with an attachment cord 23 which projects throughan opening 24 in the upper wall 29 of the annular cavity 16. The outerend of the attachment cord 23 is provided with a plug 25.

The guide member 18 provides convenient means for arranging any unusedportion of the cord 23 within the annular cavity 16, and at the sametime serves as a means to maintain the cord within the cavity after thesame has been arranged therein.

3,021,087 Patented Feb. 13, 19762 In operation, let it be assumed thatthe clock is provided with an eight foot cord, but that the purchaserwishes to locate the clock at a point which is only four feet from thewall socket. Therefore, four feet of the cord can be stored in theannular cavity 16.

To accomplish this, the clock is picked up in one hand, and is held inan inverted position with the cord 23 arranged on an adjacent horizontaltable surface at about the same level as the clock. The guide member 18is a propeller shaped device so that a finger of the other hand can beinserted behind one of the blades in order to rotate the same. The endof one of the blades will catch the cord and guide the same around thecentral depressed portion 17 and permit it to drop into the annularcavity 16. After the requisite length of cord has been disposed in thecavity in the form of convolutions 28 the remainder of the cord 23 isbrought out through the slot 22 and the clock is uprighted and placed onthe table. To all intents and pu-rposes, the clock is now provided witha cord four feet long which is just the right length to reach the wallsocket.

Before uprighting the clock, the cord may be given a tug so as totighten the convolutions disposed within the cavity 16. Then when theclock is placed in its normal position, even though the convolutions 28tend to drop downwardly they wall be engaged by the ends of the guidemember 18, and thus will be prevented from dropping downwardly out ofthe cavity 16 and on to the clock supporting surface.

In the modification of FIG. 4, the guide member is in the form of a disk30 having two slots 31 and having a suitable mounting stem 19'. The cord23 extends through one of the slots 31 so that it may be engaged by anedge of the slot as the disk 30 is rotated in order to guide the cord asit is drawn into the annular cavity 16. The other slot can be engaged bythe operators tinger to cause rotation of the disk 30.

Thus, the oper-tation of the disk-shaped `guide member 30 issubstantially the same as the operation o-f the propeller-shaped guidemember 18. In either event, the convolutions 28 of the attachment cord23 will be engaged by the outer portions of the guide member at at leasttwo points which are apart so that the convolutions will be retainedwithin the -annular cavity 16 to prevent tangling of the convolutionswhen the appliance is lifted from its supporting surface.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed herein, it will be understood that various modifications andchanges may be made in the construction shown without departing from thescope of the invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an electrical appliance the combination of a base member having acentral depressed portion, a downwardly facing annular cavitysurrounding the same, and supporting means projecting downwardly belowthe level of said central depressed portion and located exteriorly ofsaid annular cavity, a guide member rotatably mounted on said centraldepressed portion land beneath the same, and having at least two outerportions extending beneath said annular cavity, and an attachment cordfor said electrical applince extending downwrdly through said basemember into said annular cavity, a portion of said attachment cord beingdisposed in coiled relationship within said annular cavity, and saidguide member being concentrically mounted with respect to said annularcavity so that said outer portions thereof will always overlap saidannular cavity to engage the convolutions of said cord in supportingrelationship, said supporting means serving o maintain said guide memberclear of a supporting surace.

2. In an `electrical appliance, the combination of a base member havinga peripheral flange adapted to rest on a supporting surface, a centraldepressed portion spaced inwardly from said ange, and horizontal webmeans connecting the upper portions of said ange and said centraldepressed portion, said Harige, said central depressed por- -tion andsaid horizontal web means providing a downwardly facing annular cavity,a dowwardly opening slot formed in the lower edge of said peripheralflange, an attachment cord having an inner end passing through said webportion and having an outer end passing Ithrough said Slot, and havingan intermediate portion disposed Within said annular cavity in coiledrelationship, a guide member disposed beneath said central depressedportion and said annular cavity and engaging the convolutions `of saidintermediate coiled portion of said cord to maintain the same withinsaid annular cavity, and pivot means located' on said central depressedportion concentrically with respect to said annular cavity for rotatablymounting said guide member on said central depressed portion, said guidemeans having a radially disposed edge portion for engaging said cord tofacilitate the arrangement of the intermediate portion thereof in coiledrelationship within sa-id annular cavity.

References Cited in the lle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 795,980Hubbard Aug. 1, 1905 1,672,917 Sommer June 12, 1928 1,946,778 Cline Feb.13, 1934 1,947,517 Brosilow et al Feb. 20, 1934 2,816,718 Chewning Dec.17, 1957 2,865,071 Clemens Dec. 23, 1958

